Underlying Risk Factors of Personality of Clinical Patients Illustrated Through House Tree Person Test

The aim of this study was to ascertain that House Tree Person (HTP) a projective psychological test was an effective tool to assess underlying risk factors of personality (URFP) of clinical patients which might be responsible for the development of mental disorders. 28 mentally ill patients with mean age of 25 years were included in the study. HTP was used to illicit these factors. HTP drawings were then interpreted and analyzed qualitatively. All interpreted units were then classified into themes to further investigate the underlying factors which were assumed to be responsible in the development of mental disorders (Roxaanne, 2014). Five thematic clusters emerged which were named as: Defenses, Needs, Pathologies, Conflicts and Personality Weaknesses. Focus groups were conducted on these thematic clusters which suggested that the dynamic risk factors in the personalities of these clinical patients could be some incapacitating features which needed to be addressed in their treatment strategies and these could be lack of confidence, coping skills, self-assurance, interpersonal skills etc. These findings have clinical implications for identifying personality risk factors indigenously in order to mitigate the development of psychopathology.